Some political and civil rights activists feared that Hempstead Independent School District trustees would fire embattled Superintendent Delma Flores-Smith after executive session of a special meeting Saturday, but board members instead directed her to prepare for future scrutiny.

Details of what would be included in the letter were not discussed, Lockett said. The board's next meeting is June 16.

Activists contend racial tensions have been sparked by a boom in the Hispanic population in the quiet community of about 5,000 that lies 50 miles northwest of Houston. Some locals dismiss the claim, saying the school district controversy has been blown out of proportion.

Caused waves

Flores-Smith has caused waves in her 10 months with the district, pushing out the business manager, middle school principal and police chief amid allegations of their misconduct.

Shortly after being hired in August, Flores-Smith said she uncovered questionable spending and hired an auditor to review finances. The findings, along with the concurrent digging of Precinct 3 Constable Herschel Smith, led the superintendant to suspend long-time business manager Sharon Loukanis for allegedly steering no-bid contracts to a plumbing company owned by her husband.

In a November incident that attracted national attention, Flores-Smith suspended Hempstead Middle School principal Amy Lacey for announcing over the intercom that students were not to speak Spanish while at school. The school board later voted not to renew her contract. Lacey has since filed an appeal and seeks a hearing before the board.

In February, three school buses were vandalized in a bizarre incident where two unidentified people cut the brake lines and smeared the blood of a dead cat over one bus before nicking the brake lines of two more buses. Some contend the incident was tied to the controversial suspension of Lacey. A month later, Flores-Smith also suspended district police chief, Gerald Robinson, saying he failed to investigate the crime and was insubordinate. Robinson denies the assertions, arguing instead that his ouster was a personal attack.

"Almost every meeting they have tried to bring up a motion to suspend her, but the last one they couldn't since it wasn't on the agenda. This time I don't think there was enough public notice about the meeting," he said. "It's like been harassment. We feel it's retaliation because of what she did."

Activists say efforts to put pressure on Flores-Smith was bolstered by the election of three new members to the seven-person board last month. Although half of the district's 1,500 students are Hispanic, they now note the board has no Hispanic members.

Flores-Smith did not answer her phone when called for comment. Board President Sharlonda Rutledge did not respond by deadline to an email seeking comment.